Desks and Writing Tables
1890s British Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1910s European Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1890s British Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
1890s Arts and Crafts Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1890s Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1890s French Art Nouveau Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1890s British Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Satinwood
1910s British Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1910s Danish Louis XV Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1890s American Arts and Crafts Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1890s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
1890s Danish Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1890s English Campaign Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1910s British Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1890s British Chippendale Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1890s British Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1890s American Mission Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1890s British Late Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1890s Scottish Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1890s British Sheraton Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1890s Italian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
1910s French Country Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1890s Regency Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1910s Austrian Jugendstil Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1910s American Mission Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1910s Scottish Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1890s French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry
1890s Spanish Baroque Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
1890s Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Zebra Wood
1890s British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Walnut
1910s Austrian Jugendstil Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1890s French Renaissance Revival Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1890s English Adam Style Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Satinwood
1890s French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1890s English Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry, Mahogany
1890s French Directoire Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Brass, Bronze
1890s British Victorian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Ash
1910s British Chippendale Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1890s French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1890s British Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
1910s Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1910s Austrian Louis XVI Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze
1890s Indian Anglo Raj Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1890s Japanese Anglo-Japanese Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1890s English Adam Style Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Satinwood
1910s Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
1910s Austrian Jugendstil Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1910s Scottish Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
1890s Chinese Qing Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Elm
1890s French Louis XV Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Kingwood
1890s French Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Marble
1890s English Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Pine
1890s French Country Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Cherry
1910s Finnish Art Nouveau Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1910s French Belle Époque Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1890s English Edwardian Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
1910s English Edwardian Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Hardwood
1890s Dutch Arts and Crafts Antique Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
Antique and Vintage Desks and Writing Tables
Choosing the perfect writing desk or writing table is a profoundly personal journey, one that people have been embarking upon for centuries.
Queen Atossa of Persia, from her writing table circa 500 B.C., is said to have been the originator of the art of handwritten letters. Hers was reportedly the first in a long and colorful history of penned correspondence that grew in popularity alongside literacy. The demand for suitable writing desks, which would serve the composer of the letters as well as ensure the comfort of the recipient naturally followed, and the design of these necessary furnishings has evolved throughout history.
Once people began to seek freedom from the outwardly ornate styles of the walnut and rosewood writing desks and drafting tables introduced in the name of Queen Victoria and King Louis XV, radical shifts occurred, such as those that materialized during the Art Nouveau period, when designers longed to produce furniture inspired by the natural world’s beauty. A prime example is the work of the famous late-19th-century Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí — his rolltop desk featured deep side drawers and was adorned with carved motifs that paid tribute to nature. Gaudí regularly combined structural precision with decorative elements, creating beautiful pieces of furniture in wood and metal.
Soon afterward, preferences for sleek, geometric, stylized forms in furniture that saw an emphasis on natural wood grains and traditional craftsmanship took hold. Today, Art Deco desks are still favored by designers who seek to infuse interiors with an air of luxury. One of the most prominent figures of the Art Deco movement was French decorator and furniture designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. With his use of neoclassical motifs as well as expensive and exotic materials such as imported dark woods and inlays of precious metals for his writing desks, Ruhlmann came to symbolize good taste and modernity.
The rise in appreciation for Scandinavian modernism continues to influence the design of contemporary writing desks. It employs the “no fuss” or “less is more” approach to creating a tasteful, sophisticated space. Sweden’s master cabinetmaker Bruno Mathsson created gallery-worthy designs that are as functional as they are beautiful. Finnish architect Alvar Aalto never viewed himself as an artist, but, like Mathsson, his furniture designs reflected a fondness for organic materials and a humanistic approach. Danish designers such as Hans Wegner introduced elegant shapes and lines to mid-century desks and writing tables, often working in oak and solid teak.
From vintage desks to contemporary styles, 1stDibs offers a broad spectrum of choices for conducting all personal and business writing and reading activities.
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